Eric Clapton - Blue's (Live in Oslo, April 5, 1995)

→ Thanks to my friend L.C.

Warning ! Before all, to prevent any disappointment from Clapton's fans (and other blues aficionados), I'll quote my friend L.C. who shared this bootleg with me : “While far from being perfect, the general sound is good enough to enjoy the music, provided the listener has the proper audio system.” The proper audio system… You've been warned.

Slowhand in Viking land
This two-CD bootleg was taped at the Spektrum in Oslo, Norway, on April 5, 1995, one of the over 120 concert halls visited by Clapton during his 1994-95 “Nothing But the Blues” world tour which followed the release of his studio album “From The Cradle”. The same tour during which the official 2022 release “Nothing But the Blues” was recorded on November 7, 8 & 9, 1994 at the San Francisco Fillmore.

Martin Scorsese

These shows were filmed by Martin Scorsese for a documentary movie, “Nothing But the Blues”, broadcast only once on PBS in 1995 (watch below) but never commercially released until 2022 (read about the album and the movie here).

Actually the Oslo bootleg was released twice : the present version, “Blue's”, on Banzai, a bootleg label from Italy active in the 1990's, and its twin brother, identical except a different artwork and titled “Fourty Four + Five”, on the Japanese bootleg label Shout To The Top. Their release date is unknown, but the “Blue's” version most likely appeared first.

The setlist (26 different tracks, no doubles) is strictly identical. The only minor difference is that “Sinner's Prayer” which opens CD2 on the “Blue's” release, is positioned at the end of CD1 on “Fourty Four + Five”.

It is the first live recording of Clapton entirely devoted to blues, before the 1999 official double album “Blues” with which it shouldn't be mistaken. “Blues” features only one live CD while the other is a compilation of studio takes.

No “Layla”, no “Wonderful Tonight”, no “Tears In Heaven”… 100% blues from his favorite musicians : Robert Johnson of course, Leroy Carr, Howlin' Wolf, Jimmy Rogers, Muddy Water, Robert Hicks aka Barbecue Bob, Willie Dixon, Elmore James, Eddie Boyd, Lowell Fulson, John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson, Bo Diddley, Freddie King…

And also standards written by less familiar bluesmen like Johnny Young, Homer Harris, Aaron "Pinetop" Sparks, Billy Myles, Tommy McClennan, Preston "Red" Foster or Porter Grainger & Everett Robbins (read below).

On acoustic guitar or for the most part, on electric, Clapton is stellar as usual and takes full possession of each of the 26 songs he delivers with the unique style that has ranked him among the very best guitar players, and earned him monikers like “Slow Hand” and even “God”.

He is helped by his band (see below), road-tested by dozens of shows during the previous months of this long tour, but a little drowned in the deep foggy sound of the recording mainly focused on Clapton's guitar and vocals.

There's no doubt that Clapton is never better than when he plays the blues., and despite its imperfections, the Oslo show will delight good blues and good guitar connoisseurs. We now dream about a professional remaster of this double live shot... if possible. ■

Tracks & Authors

→ CD 1 :

101 Motherless Child (Robert Hicks aka Barbecue Bob)

102 Malted Milk (Robert Johnson)

103 From Four Until Late (Robert Johnson)

104 How Long Blues (Leroy Carr)

105 Kid Man Blues (Johnny Young) (*)

106 Cut Your Head (Homer Harris) (+)

107 44 Blues (Chester Burnett aka Howlin' Wolf)

108 Blues All Day Long (Blues Leave Me Alone) (Jimmy Rogers)

109 Standin' Round Crying (Muddy Waters)

110 I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man (Willie Dixon)

111 It Hurts Me Too (Elmore James)

112 Blues Before Sunrise (Leroy Carr)

113 Third Degree (Eddie Boyd-Willie Dixon)

114 Reconsider Baby (Lowell Fulson)

→ CD 2 :

201 Sinner's Prayer (Lowell Fulson)

202 Every Day I Have the Blues (Aaron "Pinetop" Sparks)

203 Early in the Morning (John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson)

204 Before You Accuse Me (Bo Diddley)

205 Someday After A While (You'll Be Sorry) (Freddie King)

206 I'm Tore Down (Sonny Thompson/Freddie King)

207 Have You Ever Loved a Woman (Billy Myles)

208 Cross Cut Saw Blues (Tommy McClennan)

209 Five Long Years (Eddie Boyd)

210 Crossroads (Robert Johnson)

211 Got My Mo-Jo Working (Preston "Red" Foster/Muddy Waters)

212 Ain't Nobody Business (Porter Grainger-Everett Robbins)

(*) Johnny Young (1918-1974) was a blues singer, mandolin player and guitarist. His nickname, Johnny "Man" Young, came from his use of the mandolin. During his career he played with Carl Martin, Charles McCoy, Yank Rachell, Robert Nighthawk, Sonny Boy Williamson, Muddy Waters, Walter Horton, Otis Spann, among others.

(+) Homer Harris (1916-2000) recorded three tracks for Columbia in 1946, backed by Muddy Waters on guitar. These tracks included "I'm Gonna Cut Your Head" but stayed unissued until 1971 when they appeared on the Testament anthology “Chicago Blues : The Beginning”.

→ https://speaktheblues.blogspot.com/2017/09/obscure-blues-homer-harris.html

The Line-Up

→ Eric Clapton : guitar & vocal

→ Dave Bronze : bass

→ Chris Stainton : keyboards

→ Andy Fairweather Low : rhythm guitar

→ Steve Gadd : drums

→ Jerry Portnoy : harmonica

→ The Kick Horns :

     - Roddy Lorimer : trumpet,

     - Tim Sanders : tenor sax,

     - Simon Clarke : baritone sax

Audio

► The album : https://youtu.be/l7uPhlC2EGE

► Some 80 dates of the 1994-95 Tour are featured in two huge audio playlists on the “EC Is Here” YT channel :
→ 1994 : https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL71bFT8aFXOZHTXh9UsCNQszvSqLij59K
→ 1995 : https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL71bFT8aFXOa_XBL8XEK3FSwElTDXicz_

Related Videos (from the 1994-95 Tour)
► The PBS broadcast of the Martin Scorsese documentary film “Nothing But The Blues”, 1995 : https://youtu.be/pcdzZKBPEGQ?t=69

► Royal Albert Hall, London, UK, Feb. 28, 1994  : https://youtu.be/o9kV0aFdwsQ
► Rehearsal, The Manhattan Center, NYC, NY, Sept. 28, 1994 : https://youtu.be/r9n6TViDv6g
► Madison Square Garden, NYC, NY, Oct. 8, 1994 : https://youtu.be/D7w1_C7gjtw
► Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada, Oct. 6, 1994 : https://youtu.be/OJM18Tbc8IU
► USAir Arena, Washington DC, Oct. 12, 1994 : https://youtu.be/LVvC-uD21fc
► Gund Arena, Cleveland, OH, Oct. 18, 1994 : https://youtu.be/ibvYTwPaLts
► House of Blues, West Hollywood, CA, Nov. 11, 1994 : https://youtu.be/Qgy3WJPyjF8
► Royal Albert Hall, London, UK, Feb.1995 :
→ Feb. 21 : https://youtu.be/ZgHu1itZgwE (very shaky shooting with a laborious start)
→ Feb. 23 : https://youtu.be/EkLuBTVeGi8
→ Feb. 25 : https://youtu.be/iZgte0c91Qk
► Bercy Arena, Paris, France, April 22, 1995 : https://youtu.be/y2o6i7yrtEQ
► Forum di Assago, Milan, Italy, May 1, 1995 : https://youtu.be/mCS89v2csbM
► Miami Arena, Miami, FL, Sept. 5, 1995 : https://youtu.be/rWvA_rjbnTY?t=131
► The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA, Sept. 13,1995 : https://youtu.be/NX4wrwhGDhc (or) https://youtu.be/kLRFrn2MJCw
► Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, Sept.17, 1995 : https://youtu.be/ozqo-cUXtzY
► Buffalo, NY, Sept. 21, 1995 : https://youtu.be/Y2Cg4QPCk38
► Osaka, Japan, Oct. 8, 1995 : https://youtu.be/ATHfYpGfT68